Overview:
HotCloud brings together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry working on cloud computing technologies to share their perspectives, report on recent developments, discuss research in progress, and identify new/emerging "hot" trends in this important area. While cloud computing has gained traction over the past few years, many challenges remain in the design, implementation, and deployment of cloud computing.

HotCloud is open to examining all models of cloud computing, including the scalable management of in-house servers, remotely hosted infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), infrastructure augmented with tools and services that provide platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS).

We solicit original papers on a wide range of cloud computing topics for HotCloud. We particularly encourage the submission of position papers that describe novel research directions and work that is in its formative stages, as well as papers about practical experiences and lessons learned from production systems. Interesting issues show up at all levels of the software stack, but HotCloud's emphasis is on combining mechanisms to build working clouds rather than on implementing new low-level mechanisms themselves. For example, papers on using virtual machines in new ways would be preferred over papers on improving core VM technology.

Topics:
Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

Workshop Format:
HotCloud this year will adopt a new format where workshop participants will be encouraged to participate more actively. A key element of this is a moderated discussion on each presented paper where contributions from workshop participants are highly encouraged. We’d like to hear from people about additional context, issues and prior work - not just ask questions. And we hope to foster discussions of alternate ideas to solve the same set of problems.

To allow this level of engagement, the accepted papers will be available for download at least a week in advance so participants can come prepared having read the papers.

We will also add dedicated time for workshop participants to engage in small group break-out sessions to introduce, debate and summarize key new areas of research in cloud computing. These will be reported on at the end of the conference.

Stronger emphasis on early-stage ideas
The HotCloud '15 program committee is placing a strong emphasis on encouraging early-stage ideas. As a workshop, our key role is to provide a place where novel ideas at their nascent stages can see the light of day long before they are ready for publication at the various “conferences of record”. A good way to think about this is that if you are only a few months away from submitting to SOCC, VLDB, OSDI, SOSP, FAST, etc. you are probably already past the sweet spot for HotCloud.

Submission Instructions
Please submit your papers in PDF format via the Web form, which will be available here soon. Do not email submissions.

Full papers: The complete submission must be no longer than five (5) pages, not including either references or discussion topics sections.

* Discussion Topics section: In keeping with the workshop format described above, authors of each full paper are required to add a section, immediately before references, no longer than a half a page (i.e., a single (1) column) that explicitly calls out what kind of feedback you are looking to receive, the controversial points of the paper, the type of discussion this paper is likely to generate in a workshop format, the open issues the paper does not address and under what circumstances the whole idea might fall apart.

* Format: The complete submission should be typeset in two-column format in 10-point type on 12-point (single-spaced) leading, with the text block being no more than 6.5" wide by 9" deep. Submissions that violate any of these restrictions may not be reviewed. The limits will be interpreted fairly strictly, and no extensions will be given for reformatting. If you wish, you may use our LaTeX templates and style files.

“Position” pieces: The complete submission must be no longer than two (2) pages, not including references. Other than the page limit, there are no restrictions on the format. Accepted position pieces will be published online.

There are no formal restrictions on the use of color in graphs or charts, but please use them sparingly—not everybody has access to a color printer.

The names of authors and their affiliations should be included on the first page of the submission.

Simultaneous submission of the same work to multiple venues, submission of previously published work, or plagiarism constitutes dishonesty or fraud. USENIX, like other scientific and technical conferences and journals, prohibits these practices and may take action against authors who have committed them. See the USENIX Conference Submissions Policy for details. Papers accompanied by nondisclosure agreement forms will not be considered. If you are uncertain whether your submission meets USENIX's guidelines, please contact the program co-chairs, or the USENIX office.

Reviewing of papers will be done by the program committee, potentially assisted by outside referees in limited cases. Accepted papers may be shepherded through an editorial review process by a member of the program committee.

All accepted papers will be available online to registered attendees at least one week before the workshop. If your accepted paper should not be published prior to the event, please notify the program co-chairs and the USENIX Production department. Accepted submissions will be treated as confidential prior to publication on the USENIX Web site; rejected submissions will be permanently treated as confidential.

By submitting a paper, you agree that at least one of the authors will attend the workshop to present it. If the workshop registration will pose a hardship for the presenter of the accepted paper, please contact Conference Department.